Marked for Life
by Spiffy McFloogan
Summary: Two months after Kagome has returned, she's eager to prove her worth once more. But when an exorcism goes wrong, Inuyasha's demon side is fully unleashed, and it she's forced to deal with the repercussions of his instincts- for life.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This started as a oneshot and started tumbling out of control! There's slight lemon in this story in future chapters, and although the summary sounds serious, it really is a light romantic story :)

Thanks for reading!

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"It's just a routine exorcism!"

"You know damn well there is no such thing as a routine exorcism, Kagome!"

She huffed crossing her arms over her chest. "This isn't fair, Inuyasha. I can handle myself!"

"No, you can't." He inched closer to her, pointing a long clawed finger in her direction. "You were gone for _three years_! You've only been back for two months, you can't just go off on your own like that! You'll get yourself killed, stupid!"

She glared at him. "Don't call me stupid, stupid! I am _not _rusty! Just last week you saw me purifying demonic auras again!"

Kaede sighed and shook her head at the loud couple. She had told Kagome about a strong demonic aura reportedly coming from a cave a few miles away from the village a few hours ago, meaning for her to tell Inuyasha when he returned from his recent job with Miroku. She didn't think the young miko would accept it as a challenge for herself to prove her worth and abilities.

Kagome had tried to escape the village unseen by Inuyasha to handle the cave on her own, but it was never an easy feat with his demonic senses and hyperawareness of her every move. Ever since she had returned to the feudal era, she had only left his sight when absolutely necessary. Miroku would need him on a job outside of town every once in a while, forcing Inuyasha to do everything in his power short of tying her to a tree to keep the spirited girl in town.

She yearned for adventure again, it was nice settling back into things, but she was antsy, ready to tackle the world again. She felt suffocated sitting still for too long in this retired state.

She was studying under Kaede learning herbs and exorcisms, fine tuning her spiritual powers, and now she was ready to take on the world, or so she thought. So when Kaede had mentioned this accursed cave, Kagome jumped to the occasion, packing up her things and running to leave before Inuyasha returned from his job with Miroku.

She wasn't fast enough.

"You're just a weak little girl! You can't leave this village to go hunting! It takes years of practice and training before anyone is able to fight on their own!" He stepped closer to her. "I can't believe you'd try to just run and leave like this," he lowered his voice so only she could hear. "to leave me.. Kagome what are you trying to prove?"

"What's going on out here?" Sango pulled back the shade covering her door looking outside. Her children were huddled in the hut, hiding from the ruckus of Inuyasha's temper.

Kaede moved towards her side, motioning for her to go back in her home. "Best to stay out of this one, m'lady." She shook her head. "Tis a lover's quarrel again."

Sango sighed, exasperated. "The only thing I didn't miss…" She mumbled.

"Stay out of this!" Inuyasha yelled at Kaede.

"Inuyasha don't yell at her!" Kagome sighed and placed a hand on his chest. "Look, I just want to prove that I can do some things on my own, okay? I don't need you to protect me all the time."

She had no idea how hard her words stung him. He took a step backwards. "I see…,"

"No, Inuyasha I didn't mean it like-," But he had turned and jumped away into the forest. Kagome sighed, turning to Kaede. "Was I really that bad?"

She shook her head. "Child, please don't take offense when I stay out of your quarrels. But I do think ye need more practice before ye leave."

Kagome shook her head. "You too?" She was exasperated, but her pride and antsy bone would not allow her to back down now. "I'll prove to you that I can do this." She turned to leave.

"Kagome-,"

"I'll be okay," She turned to smile at Kaede. "I promise, I'll be okay." And with that, she ran into the forest.

The cave was not far from the village. She estimated it to be about ten miles out. Just far enough that Miroku and Inuyasha couldn't sense its demonic presence, but close enough to be less than a day away, walking.

She felt guilty. Her heart was pained with the look in Inuyasha's eyes. _"I can't believe you'd try and leave like this… leave me." _It broke her heart. But he needed to stop babying her. Ever since she returned his had treated her like a glass doll, worried that anything and everything could break her in an instant.

Something had changed since she returned. It had been three years since she last saw him, when he embraced and kissed her as they destroyed the scared jewel together. When she had returned it was as if none of that had happened. He was so close yet so far again. Before she had left she was so comfortable with Inuyasha and her feelings towards him, she could have laced her finger through his long hair at any moment, placed sweet kisses on his lips. Now she was nervous just sitting close to him. Their feelings had been transposed to this awkward wall between them.

What had happened while she was gone? Shippo had told her Inuyasha has visited the bone eaters well every three days while she was gone, and that there had been no others in his love life. But what if being apart for three years was too much for him? What if he didn't love her anymore, and the visits became habit instead of longing?

She didn't date while she was gone, she hadn't even looked at another man the same way she looked at Inuyasha. Sure, she was asked out on dates and there were guys who vied for her attention, but they just weren't _him_.

She wished more than anything that she could just embrace him again without feeling like he would reject her. What if his feelings had changed? She couldn't just return assuming he loved her as much as he did when she left. To be back in the feudal era without him to love and to stare at Miroku and Sango and their happy children. She would feel so alone, surrounded by others in love.

She sighed and sat down at the base of a tree along her path. "Stupid." She mumbled to herself. "Why can't I just- argghh! I'm so stupid." She placed her chin on her knees, staring at the ground. She wanted more than anything for Inuyasha to be there with her. Why didn't she just ask him if she could come along? Like the old days?

"He would have never let me come." She frowned. He was too careful with her. Once while picking herbs along a shallow creek, she had slipped and lost her footing. She began to slide into the creek when Inuyasha had jumped out of a tree nearby, grabbing her and setting her on the bank gently. He spent the next five minutes examining her and making sure she had no scratches or cuts. Although she was annoyed with him for hiding in that tree, she had to admit she loved the feeling of his hands on her legs, and he ran them gently a crossed her skin feeling for any injuries he couldn't see.

A soft rustle of the leaves in a tree nearby made her stand up suddenly, grabbing her bow and arrow. "Is that you, Inuyasha!?" She demanded. He was probably watching her again. "Show yourself! I swear I'll beat you silly if you're hiding up there!"

The leaves rustled again, she readied an arrow at the tree. "Show yourself!" She shouted.

Suddenly, a small fluffy squirrel climbed into her line of fire. He twitched his nose at her, as if inquiring why she was so upset that she had an arrow pointed at him.

She sighed and lowered her arrow. "I'm loosing my mind…," she grumbled, picking up her pack and turned back on the trail.

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It was almost dusk when she arrived at the mouth of the cave. The presence of demonic aura was strong, yes, but she had felt worse. She readied her bow, her gripping tightening on it. "Please don't be any bugs there, _please _no bugs!" She whispered. She would have to go inside and set up her seals quickly before the sun went down, as she forgot to bring a torch and would have to make her own.

The cave was dark and damp. "Well, this is very warming…" she mumbled sarcastically. She felt eyes on her from all around, but could see nothing. She looked around, trying to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. As the scanned the area, she was surprised as she tripped on a bump on the floor and stumbled against a wall.

To her horror, the bump _moved_, scurried away as fast as its legs would take it. "Oh God," She said worried, trying to remember how many legs it had. She tried to push herself off the wall, sweat beating down her neck. She began to panic as her hands stuck to the wall awkwardly, trying to push her whole body away. Slowly, she realized she was stuck to the _wall_… she was stuck to something else. Something soft, silky, and sticky.

"Mmm, brothers, a snack has wandered into our cave…," Her head snapped up looking at the darkness towards where she thought the voice was coming from. It was then she realized what she was stuck to.

"_Not _spiders!" She cried out, and with a new determination to leave the cave she yanked her body free of the web, only to loose her footing once more and tumble down a long bumpy slope into the belly of the structure. Her scream echoed off the walls of the cave as she fell.

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He had been following her for hours. Jumping from tree to tree, about a mile away. Close enough that he could smell her scent and follow her, but not close enough for her to see or hear him. He was moving faster now towards her. It was at any moment she would be reaching the spiders cave, and he knew how much she hated them. He would jump in just in time to save her, and she would be so grateful that she would apologize to him for being a stupid girl and listening to his superior male intellect.

Not to mention he noticed she hadn't brought a torch with her, and maneuvering the cave would be damn near impossible without one. Stupid girl.

He jumped down at the entrance to the cave. Pausing to light up his torch, his ear twitched, listening for any sound of Kagome inside. Entering the cave he frowned, disgusted as he saw hundreds of spiders crawling away from the light as he tread inside. In the darkness, they would hide on the ceilings and walls all around, waiting for their moment to swarm and attack. Kagome had no light with her.

He picked up his pace.

Soon he came towards a fork in the cave. In the darkness it would be impossible to see. But which way would she have gone?

He flinched as he suddenly heard her scream out, Cold chills ran down his spine, was she hurt? Where they attacking her? Why did he let her so far ahead of him? His body was already running towards the scream, in the road to the right.

Sliding to a halt, he came to a sudden decline. "Kagome!" He called, Seeing nothing but black before him. "Kagome can you hear me!"

Silence.

"Inu… Inuyasha…" He heard her faint call "Inu-ahhh! Get off me!" She shrieked.

"Kagome!" He ran down the incline, then jumped as it suddenly cut off. Below him was a large spider web, where Kagome was tangled. He saw bursts of light coming from her hands and she fought off the hordes of spiders who crawled towards her, fangs out and bared.

He landed on the web, finding it difficult to maneuver around on with its sticky nature. She was laying out of his reach, just to the left of him. "Kagome, hold on!" He stuck the torch in the web next to him and pulled out tetsusaiga, slashing and cutting and chopping down the demonic spiders who now also ran to him as a target.

"Inuyasha your shoulder!" Kagome cried out, pointing at him. He turned his head, a one of the demons had latched itself onto his shoulder. He swat at it, but it quickly crawled into his shirt and down onto his stomach. He cried out in surprise as it bite into his abdomen. He clutched the lump of cloth where the spider was and quickly crushed it under his hand, cursing.

While he wrestled with his kimono to get the dead spider out, a large web struck out and landed against the side of the tetsusaiga. With a quick yank, it was out of Inuyasha's hands before he could react.

"No!" Kagome gasped. The spiders were closing in on all sides, and Inuyasha's weapon was away from them.

"I don't need my sword to make quick work out of you petty-, arrghh!" he gave out a cry of pain as he clutched his stomach where the spider had bitten him. Demonic venom surged through his veins, racing faster with ever beat of his heart.

"You _bastards_!" He cried out, lunging forewords towards the spiders, ripping them apart with his talons. He felt his demon blood boil inside him.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out, there were too many spiders crawling towards her, and her powers were beginning to grow tied with attacking the demons. A large green and black spider crawled up her leg, talons outstretched.

"I got you!" He lunged foreword towards her, slicing the spider in two. Suddenly, he collapsed on top of her, his body shaking. The quick agile movements of his attacks only allowed the venom to spread faster throughout his body. He cried out in pain and distress as he felt himself letting go.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha wake up!" More spiders were coming, and Kagome didn't know if she had it in her to purify the rest of them. Was this how they would go? Eaten by meek spider demons? "Inuyasha their coming closer!"

He growled, his body shaking. Slowly, he lifted himself off of her. She gasped at the sight.

His eyes were blood red, and two blue strikes adorned his cheeks. His demon blood had taken over in order to fight the infection growing in his body.

He was a full blooded demon now.

"No…" Kagome whispered. The tetsusaiga was yard away from her, and she was still stuck to the large sticky web.

He roared out in anger as the spiders closed in on them. Quickly, as if he was never standing in that spot to begin with, he had jumped towards the spiders. He bit and ripped and smashed them with ferocity, like an animal destroying their prey.

Kagome cried out in surprise she felt something crawling towards her head. "Inuyasha!" She was crying. Out of all the demons in the word, she just had to land in a spider demons nest. And now Inuyasha was an uncontrollable monster. He his snapped towards her, letting out a snarl before lunging forward.

He jumped towards her, grabbing the large spider by the legs and ripping them off. He roared with anger and excitement, slaughtering each and every spider until hundreds of them lay in pieces around them.

He kneeled on the web, seemingly impervious to its sticky nature. He was panting, and growling. His shoulders shook with each deep breath. Kagome couldn't help but stare at them, waiting to see what his next move would be. Would he come for her next? She was too scared to make a move.

Kagome lay in shock at what she had just seen. It was so sudden, so fast, so… masculine.

He stood up slowly, turning towards her. His demon blood rushed through his veins, killing the infection that tried to destroy his body as quickly as it had entered. He eyes locked onto Kagome. She whimpered, and the sound drove him crazy.

He crawled towards her, leaning his head down close to her neck and he breathed in her scent. It was naturally sweet, with salt from her sweat and mixed with fear. It made his heart race even more, she was so helpless, stuck to the web like this. He reached a hand out and she squeezed her eyes shut tight, waiting for the strike to hit her. Instead she felt the web beneath her give way as he cut her free from its grasp.

He grabbed her roughly and tossed her over his shoulders, before turning and jumping out of the crater they had fallen into, leaving the web, the carcasses, and tetsusaiga behind.

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"Let me go! Inuyasha let me go!" Kagome cried out. She had no idea where he was taking her, and in his demon form who knew if he still had any form of rational thought running through his head.

He jumped down from the tree, coming to a stop next to an open hot spring, It was small, only about six feet wide and exposed. There were no large rocks to shield it from peering eyes.

He dropped her to the ground roughly. "Oooph!" She grunted then gasped as he was suddenly in front of her, examining her face under the full moon. He reached his hand out again, this time laying it gently on her knee. She winced in pain, and he looked at her quizzically. It was then he realized the smell of her blood was in the air. He glanced down at her knee, bruised and swollen. She had banged it pretty hard while rolling down the steep slope in the cave. Above that was a small gash in her thigh. He bent down and licked the blood away causing her heart to race and her face to turn red. "Inuyasha! What are you doing!?" she gasped, trying to push his face away from her thigh. He grunted and continued to lick at her wound until he was satisfied it was clean.

He looked up at her with a stern face, then pointed to her collar bone where it was also scratched. He frowned, then leaned foreword and began licking at her collar bone. She gasped, both at his words and his actions.

"_Is this really hapenning?' _she thought. _'What on earth is he doing?' _Her face couldn't flush anymore than it already was, her breath quickened with each lick. She knew this was wrong, that Inuyasha would never do this in his right mind. She was paralyzed, but she wasn't sure if it was through fear or if it was perhaps because some part of her enjoyed it. She enjoyed the feel of his hot breath on his neck, the feeling of his concern over her scrapes and bruises. He nuzzled his face into her neck, growling softly. She shivered.

"N-no, really, Inuyasha, I'm fine! Please, snap out of it!"

He didn't budge, he just continued to lick at her collar, gently. Her face flushed, and he felt her body warm at the touch. He blood boiled, his instincts going crazy.

He sat back and pulled at her hair gently. He was trying to tell her something, but all his noises were muffled through his fangs. He stood up, throwing her over his shoulder once more. "What are you _doing_! Inuyasha!" She kicked and hit at him, only exciting him even more. She was fighting and he loved it.

Swiftly, gently he set her in the spring. "What are you-," He didn't let her finish as he shoved her head under water. It was brief, he held her under for no more than five seconds, to Kagome however it felt as if he were about to drown her.

She gasped as he lifted his hand off of her head. "Will you just chill out for a moment!? Wait what are you _doing!?" _She was frantic as he began to remove his kimono. He looked at her and smirked at her panicked face. Slowly, he dropped his kimono onto the grass, and climbed into the hot spring with her.

"P-Put those back on! Inuyasha did you hear me?" Her hands flew to her face, covering her eyes. Inuyasha was moving towards her in the hot spring, stark naked. She cried out in surprise and tried to wiggle away from him as he began to tug at her clothes. She pushed and shoved and tried to kick his away, slipping on the stones beneath her. "Will you stop it! Please!" Her fighting just encouraged him to try harder as he removed her kimono. Soon she was in her bra and panties, squeaking in embarrassment. He frowned down at the bra, unable to understand how it worked. Giving up, he quickly slit it with his claw. "T-that was my only bra! No not my panties, too-," It was too late, and before she knew it, she was nude.

She turned away from him, embarrassed and degraded. She cradled her breasts, trying to hide them from him. He leaned towards her, frowning, and turned her back around to face him.

Hot tears fell from her face as she stared at him. He frowned, and slowly leaned forward to lick the tears away from her face. She didn't fight this time. "Inuyasha, just come back to me… Please, come back to your normal self!" She cried lightly.

He grumbled something at her as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "I can't understand you!" She sighed, sniffling. He tried once more, "Inuyasha I can't-," she stopped in mid sentence. It was a rough low grumble, but it was just audible enough to make out the syllables.

"D-did you just?" She looked at him, puzzled and flushed. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

He pulled her closer to him, as he lowered his face towards her neck again, she had started bleeding from her collarbone once more. "Eahht.." He whimpered, licking her collar gently, then moving up towards her neck.

She gasped and pulled back from him, she was positive this time. She was positive she heard correctly. "M-_Mate_!?"


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: thank you all for the wonderful reviews! It's my inspiration to write! The third chapter may take me a few days to get out, but just keep sending me reviews to get my butt moving! Sorry if I've replied to your review more than once, I'm trying to stay on top of replying and it gets sticky when I can't remember who I've responded to and who I haven't!

If you're a Sango/Miroku fan as well, check out my other new story "Etcetera". It's a little bit more well written in my opinion with lots of crazy plot twists! s/8600681/1/Etcetera

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_Recap_

He pulled her closer to him, and he lowered his face towards her neck again. She had started bleeding from her collarbone once more. "Eahht.." He whimpered, licking her collar gently, then moving up towards her neck.

She gasped and pulled back from him, she was positive this time. She was positive she heard correctly. "M-Mate!?"

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She was positive she heard him correctly. "Mate!? Did you just say Mate!?"

He frowned at her, not understanding her panic. Did she not know what that meant? He lowered his hands to her hips, drawling her closer to him. She flushed, her heart beating erratically as she squirmed to get away. She was fully aware of what was going on down _there _and she didn't want to touch it at all.

He growled frustrated and pulled harder, trying to hold the frightened and frazzled girl still. _'I have to get out of this spring!' _she thought, panicked. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. "I said no!" Instinctively, she reached a hand out, and quickly struck him a crossed the cheek.

Kagome was climbing out of the hot spring before he could even register that she had left his arms. _'Oh shit! Oh shit, oh shit oh shit!' _Tears started to fall from her face once more. _'He's going to kill me! Inuyasha is going to kill me- _naked _even!' _

She frantically crawled away towards his kimono to cover up when she heard his snarl of anger. In moments, he was on top of her grabbing at her wrists and holding her in place. She cried out in shock and embarrassment as he managed to flip her onto her back. She was helpless, completely and totally.

Something was wrong, however. Inuyasha knew she was his mate, but why was she struggling against him? Why was his mate so sad? Salty tears streaked a crossed her face. Concerned, he pulled her hands together, binding them with one hand while the other stroked her cheek, catching a tear on top of his long claw.

Kagome looked at demon Inuyasha as he stared at the tear he had caught with such concern and intensity. He reached down to her face, pulling an eye lid down where the tears had come from, trying to figure the motion out. It was as if he didn't know how she was crying.

He leaned down and nuzzled into her neck, trying to console her. Didn't she know this was a good thing? It was then he realized it. There _was _something wrong, something missing. Her neck, tan from hours under the harsh sun, was cleaned and un scathed.

He gently licked at her neck, cleaning the area thoroughly. She had given up fighting by now, and just lay trembling below him. He paused for a moment, pulling back to look at her body. Its sweet curves, her plump breasts, her body excited him. He knew he couldn't take it any longer. His fangs bore into his bottom lip, puncturing it, causing it to bleed.

He leaned down back towards her neck, opening his mouth wide and biting down deeply into her skin.

She cried out, startled and in pain, kicking her feet and trying to pull her hands free from his grasp to no avail. He remained still, the taste of her blood intoxicating him to the very core. It's true that humans were much weaker creatures, and that their blood was especially delicious. That's why courting and mating was very hard for a demon to accomplish with a human. The urge to rip out their throats and destroy them was almost suffocating.

But he held still. When she had stopped squirming and in avertedly rubbing her self against him as she tried to escape, that's when he was able to let go of her. He gently licked the new wound, and she hissed in pain.

He finally rolled off of her, releasing his grasp on her hands. He wanted to take one more long good look at her before he made her his.

The moment he pulled away from her however, she took her chance. "SIT!" She yelled, rolling away from him and onto her feet.

He crashed against the ground, creating a crater into the earth beneath him. "Sit sit sit sit sit SIT!… SIT!" she was angry and terrified. "SIT!" the word echoed in the woods, and when it seemed like he was going to get up, one last time. "SIIITTT!"

She painted an collapsed to her knees next to his kimono. She slipped his top over her naked body. Shooting glances at him to make sure he remained in the ground.

A low growl came from the hanyou, and Kagome watched with concerned and frightened eyes as he pulled himself up out of the ground. Suddenly, her neck began to burn and itch, she slapped a hand on the bite mark to try and ease the pain, although it didn't help.

"K-Kagome?" his hoarse voice called out to her.

Her eyes snapped back towards him, and she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness as her chocolate brown eyes stared into his golden orbs. She reached her shaking hand that wasn't covering her neck down towards the remains of his kimono, tossing it to him. "H-Here."

His face flushed red as he realized his current state. "What the fuck!? Why am I naked!?"

"You really don't know?" She asked him quietly as he hurried to put his clothes on, her eyes brimmed with tears. How could he not remember what he just tried to do to her?

He looked around at his surroundings. "Where the hell are we?" He paused, seeing her hand cradling her neck. It was then he noticed that she was more than less naked as well, with nothing but his fire rat robe to cover her. "K-Kagome?" He leaned down next to her. She flinched, as if he was going to hurt her. "Kagome are you okay? I…" he trailed off "I didn't hurt you did I?" She was quiet. "Kagome? Kagome tell me I didn't hurt you!"

She stiffed a soft sob before turning towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face against his chest. "I though you'd never come back to me!" She cried. "I was so scared!"

He wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I'm so sorry 'gome… What happened?" He was fearful of the answer. His demon scent was drenched on her, he had woken up naked and she was in a robe. He was scared of what she would say.

"The spiders! There was so many! And you were bit, and you could have, you could have _died_!" She shuttered. "I thought I lost you Inuyasha, I really thought I did! You were a demon for so long!"

"Kagome," He tightened his grip on her.

"I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! If you would have never had to protect me-," She paused, taking in a deep breath, before sobbing once more.

He held her tighter. "I didn't mean to scare you, Kagome, you're safe now."

She pulled away from him slightly. "That's the thing…," She started, trying to find the words. "You terrified me… but you… it was like you were taking _care _of me… you… my wounds…" She looked him in the eye. "You kept _licking _them! Like how a dog nurses its wounds by licking them."

He sighed, nodding, but confused. "That's.. that's how I tend to my smaller wounds… Dog demons don't have healing powers, but we can speed along the healing process by cleaning and sealing wounds with our saliva but…,"

"But what?"

"But it's normally only something we do for members of our clan, or kin." Kagome sighed, leaning back into him. She couldn't bring herself to tell him about what happened with the springs. Not yet. He stood up, slowly, letting her settle into the grass. "Look, you're shivering, I'm going to build a fire for us, okay?"

She nodded slowly. She hadn't realize she was shaking until he mentioned it. Somehow she didn't think it was because of the temperature, however.

As Inuyasha left, she replayed the night over in her head. Why had he put her in the hot springs? He did tug at her hair like it was dirty, but something told her it wasn't to clean her off from the cave, and as a full blooded demon he didn't seem the romantic type.

She leaned down on her side, wrapping her arms around her knees in the fetal position, and that's where she laid, waiting for him to return.

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She hadn't realized she fell asleep until he was gently shaking her. "Kagome?"

She was warm, a fire was built in front of her and two fish stuck in the ground, cooking. Her stomach growled at the scent. She hadn't realized she was hungry until she smelled them.

She paused at that thought. Since when did the smell of fish come so strong to her? Her nose burned with the smell of the fish, the fire and the ashes in the air. She began to sneeze as she sat up slowly.

"Are you okay?" He asked her gently. "You're not getting sick are you?"

She shook her head, then winced suddenly, slapping a hand against her neck at the movement. Her bite wound was burning now. She couldn't help but worry that it was infected. There was no antibiotics in the feudal era and an infection could easily mean death.

"What's wrong with your neck?" He asked her, tugging at her arm to try and see it.

"It's nothing, I must have pulled a muscle or something." She lied, the last thing she wanted to do was to make him worry and feel even more guilty than he already did.

Her body was exhausted and sore. It felt as if she had growing pains in every limb.

"You look kinda pale…" he murmured, staring at her tired face. "And you have bags under your eyes. Were you bitten by one of the spiders?" then quietly, he said, "No… you'd be dead by now with their venom…,"

"That venom was terrifying. I thought it was going to kill you for sure." She sighed.

He stared at her. "Did you just hear me?" He asked.

"What?"

"Did you hear me say that about the venom?" She nodded, confused, her hand still placed on her neck. Inuyasha frowned, he was positive he whispered that last comment so that she wouldn't hear. How was she able to hear that? He must not have said it as quiet as he thought.

"Inuyasha, the fish… it smells like their about to burn."

He jumped to life, turning the fish onto the other side. Once again, he was confused. How was she able to smell the fish were about to burn when he himself didn't even realize it?

"Kagome, are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded then sighed, letting her hand drop to her side. Her body felt hot, she definitely had an infection brewing. Inuyasha gasped, and was suddenly at her side. He pulled her hair away from her neck and examined the circular wound. The small puncher holes resembled that of a bite mark, and by the look of the canine's it wasn't human. He knew before he even smelled it who it was from, but he had to be sure. He leaned his head close to her, breathing in deeply to catch the scent of the wound.

She flinched, as if her body was scared he would bite her again. "Is it bad?" She asked him. "Does it look infected?"

But Inuyasha didn't answer. Instead, he sank down, away from her, putting his head in his hands. "By Gods…" He said slowly, shocked and terrified at what this meant. _'What have I done to her?'_

"Inuyasha?" She turned towards him, placing a hand on his knee. She was suddenly worried. "Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

He looked up at her, worry flickered in his eyes. "I'm so… I'm so sorry," He whispered. Her ears picked up every breath of the words.

"What do you mean? It'll heal…"

"No!" He stood up suddenly, angry. "Do you have any idea what this _means _Kagome!? What I've done to you!?" She shook her slowly, worried and confused.

"It means… it means I've marked you as my mate."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hello! Sorry for the delay on this chapter, I'm in the process of moving into a new apartment and my car literally spontaneously combusted on me. Long story haha. I think I replied to everyone who reviewed, and please keep them coming! Every review makes my day so much brighter especially with how my week has been going!

I hope this chapter isn't too rushed, and I apologize that it's not as long, but I wanted to give you guys something!

Enjoy :)

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_Recap_

"No!" He stood up suddenly, angry. "Do you have any idea what this _means _Kagome!? What I've done to you!?" She shook her slowly, worried and confused.

"It means… it means I've marked you as my mate."

.

…

.

Kagome's eyes widened, and her face flushed. "W-what do you mean?"

"What do you think, stupid!?" He dropped to his knees, running a worried hand through his hair. "It means I've ruined you!"

"Ruined? Inuyasha I told you it would heal-,"

"Not your neck, wench!" He sighed, frustrated with her lack of knowledge on the subject. He didn't want to talk about this, not with her when it had been forced on her. Her wide eyes were worried, and confused, irritating him more. He looked away from them, the anger building in his chest. How could she be so calm about a subject like this? Surely humans knew what it was to be mated?

Kagome sat, patiently, waiting for him to elaborate on his frustrations. She would be quiet, she decided. She would wait for him to open up about his worries. But seeing that distant look in his eyes burned her heart, and made her feel guilty like she had wronged him by being bitten. She didn't realize she was holding her bite mark until he snapped at her. "Stop touching the damn thing, would ya!" She jumped and lowered her eyes, saddened.

Inuyasha stared into the fire, his mind miles away from his problems, his sins. He knew he would have to explain everything to her, he just didn't know how. Angry at his own thoughts, he spoke abruptly. "It's a courtship mark." She jumped again, startled at his suddenly breach of the silence between them. "It's like a symbol to every other demon out there that you're not available… that you're mine." He grew quiet.

A warmth rose in Kagome's cheeks as she stared at his face. "Inuyasha…" She called his name gingerly, tasting it as she spoke. His name was sweet. "How do they know that- that I'm yours and not another's?"

He sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. "It gives off a smell. My smell." Instinctively, Kagome took a large breath of air, trying to smell her neck. He laughed at her stupidity. "You're a human, stupid, you can't smell it."

But yet, she could. "Trees." She stated, then another sniff. "It's like a forest scent, with honey and-… and something else." Masculinity. An air of superiority, she wanted to say, but she kept quiet.

He stared at her, as if trying to see into her soul. His eyes narrowed at her, as they bore holes into hers. She flushed and looked away. "At least that's what you smell like…." she whispered. Her neck began to throb, she placed a hand over it again. She was startled at its warmth, but stopping to think about it, her whole body was warm. She wasn't sure if it was the fire, or perhaps she really was getting an infection?

His gaze finally let up, and he returned his stare into the fire. "I'm sorry." His whispered. She was about to speak when he stopped her. "No! Kagome, what I've done is inexcusable. I've taken away so much more than your right to choose who you wanted to be with. No human will take you with that mark, no demon _can _take you unless I'm dead. I've…" He stopped, at a loss for words.

Kagome scooted towards him slowly, he flinched and leaned away. "Inuyasha it's okay-,"

"No!" He stood up, angrily. "You're not comprehending this Kagome! Stop being the nice one here and fucking get angry or something! Stop being so god damn understanding!"

She shrank back, startled at his outbreak, and scared. "Inuyasha…"

"You're linked with me now! Don't you understand what that means!?" She was shaking, holding back fierce tears and pain at his words. Suddenly he was in her face, slapping her hand away from her neck. "I said stop touching the damn thing!" He turned away from her, crossing his arms in anger. He knew she was going to cry, he could smell the salt from her tears, but he wasn't going to witness it.

She was silent, her shoulders shaking and her breathing ragged. She wasn't going to cry in front of him, she wasn't. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of making her cry, or the guilt.

When she looked up, she had realized that he was walking towards the woods once more. "Wait- where-,"

"I'm getting tetsusaiga." He said sharply, and with his back still turned. "Just don't get killed or anything while I'm gone."

And with that, he left.

"W-wait! You're just going to leave me here!?" She called out to him, but he was long gone. "You can't just- you can't just _leave _me here! You can't! Inuyasha!" She cried out in frustration. "YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!" she shouted into the sky, kicking her leg at nothing. The sudden movement made her head spin, and she found her self laying on the ground, staring up at the sky. The fall had knocked the wind out of her, leaving her gasping.

She groaned, closing her eyes. Now the stars were spinning, and her head was swelling. She usually loved staring into the night sky, it relaxed and calmed her. It brought peace of mind to her in times of frustration and stress You would never see something so beautiful in the modern day. Tonight, however, it just made her head feel light and bothered.

She laid on her back for what seemed to be an hour, until the smell of burnt fish caught her nose. She cursed, sitting up slowly to avoid her head rushing again, and pulled the fish from the fires edge. One would fill her and Kagome could only assume the second was for Inuyasha. She made sure to let his fall into the fire entirely.

Her stomach growled as she bit into the fish. She usually didn't care for the things, but at the moment that fish was the best tasting meal she had ever had. Her taste buds were alive with the flavor the plain fish provided, sparkling with excitement at the seafood.

Her stomach, however, did not agree with her taste buds. As soon as she had settled back into the grass, she felt a tingling sensation in the back of her mouth. She had half a second to dive into a nearby bush to expel the contents of her stomach.

Coughing and sputtering she crawled back towards the spring and splashed water on her face, to freshen up after her sickness. She had hoped it was help her head feel better as well, to sooth her warm body, but it did nothing.

Her body felt entirely too weak to move, and her crawl to the fire place turned into a drag. Her limbs were heavy, and she felt her spirits dropping with it. A cold sweat dripped down her back, and the nausea returned, leaving her to vomit more until all she had to expel was bile.

She groaned, miserable and feverish, and curled into a ball. Taking deep breaths, she started to cry. What started as a few sniffles quickly turned into full onset bawling as she sobbed into her knees.

She wasn't sure how long she cried, or how long she sat up waiting for Inuyasha to return to her.

Slowly but surely, she fell in a deep uncomfortable sleep.

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..

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"Oh Gods! Is she okay?"

"I don't know! Just fix her!"

Kagome felt light as air. She heard muffled voices all around her. Worried and frantic, they raced around her. Then again, with her head _everything_ was racing around her.

"What happened!?"

She felt her hair shift to the side, and suddenly the voices calmed down.

"I'm afraid this is a battle she must fight alone." The voice was solemn and sad for her. "There is nothing I can do but make her comfortable…."

Sshe felt herself being lowered onto a soft bedding. It was then she realized she wasn't light as air, she was carried. Her body sank into its cushions, instantly soaking it with her feverish sweat.

"Why didn't ye prepare the poor girl for this before ye did it?" The voice hissed.

"It wasn't like it was planned or nothing!" She recognized that voice as Inuyasha's. Kagome tried to open her eyes to see what was going on around her, but the bright light of the hut's fire and her exhaustion shut her out.

"Inuyasha how could ye be so reckless!" That was the upset voice of Kaede, she knew it.

A cold towel was placed against her burning forehead. Kagome hissed and tried to move her head away from it.

"Kagome! Kagome wake up!" Inuyasha called out to her, but she couldn't. Kagome couldn't get her body to do anything other than fight the cold towel and breath. It was already too much for her to handle, she felt her sanity slipping.

"Inuyasha calm down! The poor girl has a battle inside that neither of us could possibly understand!"

She was right. Her body burned and ached. She felt her fingers swell and her breathing quicken. Was she infected? What was happening? Her mind raced and tipped and turned, swaying and moving all around. She couldn't keep her world to stop moving.

There were hands on her arms, holding her still. "Kagome, don't move!" It was Inuyasha. "You have to fight it! You have to fight through!"

But how? How could he ask her to fight when she was so weak? Everything hurt, and her throbbing neck seemed to be the center of her pain. Suddenly, as if it knew she was thinking about it, a sharp pained echoed in her body from it. She cried out, she had never known such a feeling before.

"Kagome!"

"Inuyasha, let her go! She has to fight it on her own!" Kaede hissed at him.

She felt a soft hand placed on her cheek. "Kagome, please! I'm here, please come out of this to me! Just open your eyes and look at me!"

Her eyes twitched, she wanted to open them, but she was so completely exhausted to the bone. She had to force herself to breath, the automatic response was gone. She felt her head fall into the hand. She whimpered, now her head was pounding as well.

"Kagome! I believe in you, gather your strength and open your eyes!"

She couldn't, she couldn't will herself to do it.

Then, he said it. Quietly, so as to hide it from Kaede, but loud enough for her to hear him whisper to into her ear. "Mate… I need you… please…"

Slowly, she opened her eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sooo sorry for the late update! I just moved into my new apartment and have no internet yet haha. I also just bought a new car since mine caught on fire! Soo life has been crazy! I hope this chapter makes up for it!

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..

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Then, he said it. Quietly, so as to hide it from Kaede, but loud enough for her to hear him whisper to into her ear. "Mate… I need you… please…"

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

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..

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The village was silent for once.

No children played in the streets, no women chatted cheerfully, no men worked in the fields. The silence was deafening, the only ambient noise being that of rain pouring into the streets.

The sky was solemn, foggy. The clouds covered any hint of a blue sky and bright sun that tried to show its face. It had been raining for two days now, the crisp cold air had chased all the inhabitants back inside their homes to curl up next to a warm fire.

Perhaps the village needed this rain, they needed the break from working the fields and chasing the children. Now it was time to rest with their families.

But for Inuyasha there was no rest. The rain had been pouring for two days now, but it had still been four since he had carried Kagome into Kaede's hut. Feverish and delirious, he was forced to sit next to her as she tossed and turned and cried out in pain. Her frantic screams echoed throughout the night, sending chills down his spine. There was no rest for him, no sleeping, no eating. He couldn't.

The food Sango and Miroku would bring him had no taste. The water never quenched his thirst. Even the air was stale to him.

Kagome, his mate whether she accepted it or not, was tied to him now. She was in pain, so he was in agony.

He sat next to her, arms crossed as he glared down at her figure. He tried to hate her for being so weak to succumb to this, but yet his heart…

"Inuyasha, you need to rest." Miroku's soothing voice called out to him as he entered the small hut. Soaked with rain, he tried to shake off all the water he could before sitting next to his friend by the fire.

"I can't." Inuyasha's voice was rough, harsh with his bitterness towards himself.

"I thought as much." Miroku sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair.

He sat there in silence, staring at his friend as he stared at his mate. Miroku could only guess the thoughts running through Inuyasha's head as he observed her. Conflict flickered in his eyes. Greif, anguish, worry and anger. He couldn't keep up with the emotions running through Inuyasha's face.

"No one blames you." Miroku said suddenly. Inuyasha remained silent. The whole village could hear her screams of agony and pain throughout the night. It was the first time in days Kagome had tired herself enough to remain quiet.

"I didn't want any of this…," Inuyasha's face was pained, agony and longing in his eyes.

"I know." Miroku's voice was firm. "We all know. You had no control over this."

Inuyasha was silent in his thoughts. His eyes danced over Kagome's face. Her pale skin dripped with a feverish sweat, her dark hair tangled from her thrashing. Her face was finally at peace. It rose a panic in Inuyasha, what if this peace was really her giving in?

"I think I did have control."

Miroku looked at Inuyasha, surprised, and beckoned him to continue. "I lied to her, Miroku. I said I didn't know what happened when…," He sighed and looked Miroku in the eyes with complete and total heartbreak. "I-,"

A pained moan gurgled up through Kagome's mouth. Her hands flew towards her face as they covered her eyes in anguish. "Inuuuaaahhh," She cried out and rolled onto her side, away from the fire place.

Inuyasha was at her side, a worried hand on her shoulder as he bent down towards her face. "Kagome?"

She rubbed at her eyes ferociously, crying large salty tears. "Eyeeess!" She moaned. "My eyes! Inu… my _eyes_!"

He lifted the top half of her body onto his lap, cradling her against him. "Sshh, ssshh Kagome you have to fight this! You have to push through!"

She raised her face towards his, eyes squeezed shut. "They burn!" She sobbed. "My eyes!" She choked on her sobs.

Miroku was at their side. "Kagome, can you open them?" She shook her head fiercely. "Kagome, you've got to try! This is just one battle out of many, Kagome you can win this! Just open your eyes!"

She sobbed but nodded slowly. Painfully, she focused her energy towards her eye lids, trying to will them open with everything she had. She pushed herself, with every ounce of her strength to will her eyes open.

Finally, she slumped down in defeat. "I-I can't!" She sobbed. "I can't open them!"

"Kagome…" Inuyasha called softly. "Your eyes… they are open."

Her hands flew towards her face, feeling around for her eye lids and eye lashes. She felt herself blink away her tears, but her world was still black. Her breathing quickened, her heart racing. "Oh God…" She whispered. "Oh God no…."

She began to sob once more, choking and sputtering as she grabbed Inuyasha's Kimono and cried into it.

Miroku and Inuyasha stared at each other in shock, both thinking what the other was too afraid to say out loud.

Kagome was blind.

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…

.

The rain had slowly lifted over the village, taking with it Kagome's fever.

She was now more responsive to the world around her. Although massive migraines had left her inside Kaede's hut. The sounds and smells of the world were too harsh for her delicate senses.

Kaede had fashioned a blind fold for Kagome's face to shield her from the pain of not seeing with her eyes wide open.

Inuyasha remained silent. He hadn't spoken to her since her realization that she couldn't see. To furious and ashamed of himself to face her, but to stubborn and protective to leave her alone in her state. She knew he was there, but he never touched her again after he had laid her down to rest when she had cried herself to sleep that night.

She wished he would say something to her, anything. Or lay next to her to soothe her. She was so anxious and scared, his silence was almost worse than him leaving her.

She slept most of the day, waking up occasionally to cry herself back to sleep. She had tried to be strong for Inuyasha, tried to fight this infection for him but he was right. She wasn't strong enough to do anything on her own. She couldn't even kill a few spiders.

She felt the warmth of the fire in front of her, maintained by the visitors who came and went. The smell of the beef soup Sango had made for her played with her senses, and although it was atop the fire, it smelled as if she were bathing in it.

The sound of the fire crackling was starting to ease away. Two days ago it was deafening. All she could hear was the fire and the rain, now she was able to focus more so that the world around her was more in check.

But still the smell and sound of the room around her was causing her migraine to worsen. She felt as if her brain was trying too hard, as if someone were pounding a nail into her very skull.

"Inuyasha?" She called out to him, knowing he was sitting a crossed the room from her from his smell alone, yet still wanting to make sure she wasn't by herself.

"Mmm?"

"Can we leave here?"

He stood up and walked over to her, sitting back down behind her, "What do you mean?"

"My head.. This fire and soup… its killing me. I just need to leave this hut. The rain is over now, can we just leave?" She was quiet, her voice harsh. She sat up slowly as to ease her body into the movement. "Please?"

He was silent for a moment, debating taking her away from the village in case they needed Kaede's help once more. It was then he figured he had taken everything else away from her, why not let her do what she wanted just this once? "Where do you want to go?"

She smiled, excited to leave this prison of a hut for once in days. "How about… our tree? Where we first met?"

Inuyasha blushed. "Are you sure you're feeling up to it, Kagome?"

"I need to get out of here, Inuyasha. Please."

He sighed, and slowly picked her up. "If you say so."

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…

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Kagome sighed and placed her head in her hands, wincing at the sharp pain. The smells of the forest and air were intoxicating, surrounding her, encircling her. She was able to form a mental picture of where she was at, what was near her just from the smells alone. It was overwhelming.

"See! I told you, you weren't okay enough to leave." Inuyasha scoffed.

She mentally rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, Inuyasha. It's just an infection. I need to get out and move to get this thing out of my system."

He frowned at her. She was sitting at the base of the tree, and he next to her. The last thing he wanted to do was set her in a high tree branch where her blind body would fall out of. "Kagome…" He stared, the sighed and shook his head. "Never mind."

"Inuyasha." She turned towards him. "I know there's something you're not telling me." She frowned when he remained silent. "I can hear you, you know. When you talk to Lady Kaede. This isn't a normal infection, is it?"

He was thankful that she couldn't see him. He stared at her neck, where just days before he had bitten her. Marked her as his. He stared at her body that he had almost forced himself upon in his lustful demonic nature. He hadn't finished telling Miroku about that day. He couldn't bring himself to tell anyone about what happened. All he could say was he lost control and bit her. He said nothing of the hot spring. Of his demon side trying to bathe her, take care of her. How he tended to her wounds as a alpha treats his bitch. How he tried to console her when she was scared. His demon side didn't realize she wasn't his, isn't his. All his demon side knew was that his love needed him.

But Inuyasha knew. He knew she was terrified of him, that she felt degraded by him undressing her. The animal inside him wanted to help her, though. Even though he knew he could have broken that seal, he needed to step outside of himself and give into his nature. He needed her, just as she needed him. If he would have known what price she was going to have to pay, he would have never let himself fall victim to his desires.

Inuyasha sighed, running a hand through his hair again. "It's that mark."

She nodded, and reached a blind hand out to him. When she couldn't find his body, and he didn't reach back out to her, she dropped it slowly. "I know this is hard for you to talk about, Inuyasha, but please. It's not just you that's affected by this, I need to know-,"

"You think I'm upset about this for _myself_?" He snapped at her. "Kagome I couldn't give a damn about myself! Seeing you like _this _though!? In pain and suffering over something _I_ did to you!? Kagome if I could take it back, I would, in a _heartbeat_!" She slouched back away from him, in his angry outburst. "I never wanted to hurt you, Kagome, I only want to protect you!"

She lowered her head, and tugged the blindfold away from her face. Its itchy nature was just a constant reminder of Inuyasha's pain at what happened.

"Any normal human would have died by now, Kagome. A demon's courtship mark would destroy anyone who couldn't handle it. You're not experiencing an infection. Your body is changing, its adapting."

"What do you mean?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms, looking up towards the sky. "Demons and humans aren't meant to be together." He lowered his head, shielding his eyes with his bangs. "For obvious reasons, humans are frail and weak creatures. We can live for thousands of years while you… everything is a challenge. You get the flu and face death, we rarely get sick. That's why demons hate humans, they feel they need to rule over them. My father was that way, until he met my mother. It goes against nature for a demon to… to ..." to fall in love with a human, was what he wanted to say.

"But it had to have worked out somehow, right?" Kagome asked quietly, cheeks rosy with tales of forbidden romance. "You age so slowly, and yet you were with your mother for years…"

"That's where the mark comes in." Inuyasha's face flushed. "It's a demon's way of cheating the system. When I… when my demon side marked you… it linked your life to mine…," He turned to face Kagome, staring at her as he spoke. "Your body is changing, Kagome. Your fever is your body adapting to those changes. You'll never be a demon, not even a half demon, but you'll be… better. Your taste, smell, hearing… sight…,"

Kagome turned towards him. "So the migraines? Information overload?"

He blinked confused. "Umm, yeah I guess. Something like that."

She tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully. "If I'm linked to you… my senses are as good as yours now?"

He shook his head. "You wish. It's impossible for you to be as good as mine. It's kinda a way to cheat nature. Dad always said it was so mom could keep up with her pup." Kagome's face flushed a bright red.

They were silent for a while. "So why am I not… dead?"

Inuyasha scratched his head, sighing. "Kaede says its your miko abilities… she also says it's the miko in you that's fighting the demon side away. Your body is in a battle between two different sides, it doesn't know what it wants… to purify the demon and remain human… or be intertwined… any normal human that demon bite would have killed…,"

Kagome kicked her feet slowly, lowering her head. "Inuyasha?" He stared at her. "What happened to your mother after your father died?"

His face darkened. "Her life was linked to his." Was all he said.

Kagome nodded slowly, still kicking her feet lightly. Her brain ached, and she was sure now if it was the battle inside her or the information pouring into her.

"Demons mate for life…" She murmured. His ears perked as he looked at her face. It was far off, as she stared blindly into space. Suddenly, something clicked inside of her. "If it goes against nature to mate with a human, why would your demon side choose me?"

His face burned red. This was the question he was trying to avoid. "Kagome, I'm so sorry." Was his reply.

She turned her head to him, suddenly. "Inuyasha? Shut up."

He froze, doing a double take at her. "H-Huh?"

She reached a blind hand out to him, and this time he grabbed it, nervous and confused. She felt around his chest, up to his face, where she rested both her hands on his cheeks. "Look at me when I say this, okay?"

Both hearts were racing, faces flushed. Clearly, Kagome's fever was back and she was out of her right mind. She shifted herself so she was sitting on his lap. "K-Kagome what are you doing? Are you out of your mind!?"

She lowered her right hand from his cheek, tracing it down his shoulder and arm to his hand. She grabbed it and lifted it back up to her neck, where she placed it on top of her mark. "Feel this? See this?" He nodded, too shocked and dumbstruck to say anything. "_You _chose _me. _Something inside of you knew this was right, and this was how it was supposed to be."

He face was burning red, but deep down he knew she was right. Two months ago when she came back to him through the well he knew it. He swore he'd never let her be in harms way again, that he would protect her and save her for all time. He knew what he had to do, but his human side was too afraid of rejection and to filled with nerves to tell her. Inuyasha knew Kagome was his mate, he knew it. But how would he tell her? His demon side did the one thing he was too afraid to do, it made the move.

"Don't you get it?" She sighed and rested her forehead against his. "If I didn't want to be yours I wouldn't have come back."

Inuyasha's body moved on its own. His lips crashed against hers, his hand on her neck cupped her face as he pulled her closer towards him. His mind was screaming at him to stop, but his body couldn't take it any longer. He had waited three years to make her his, and now that he had her he wasn't going to loose her again.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I am so so sorry for such a late update! I hit a bit of writers block. I hope it doesn't come out too much with this chapter. I'm sorry it's so short, but I wanted to at least put something in here to get the story moving again! I know where I want to take this, I just need the events to get it there!

"Don't you get it?" She sighed and rested her forehead against his. "If I didn't want to be yours I wouldn't have come back."

Inuyasha's body moved on its own. His lips crashed against hers, his hand on her neck cupped her face as he pulled her closer towards him. His mind was screaming at him to stop, but his body couldn't take it any longer. He had waited three years to make her his, and now that he had her he wasn't going to loose her again.

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…

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Inuyasha lurched forward suddenly, sitting up from the cot he found himself laying in. His breathing ragged, his face flushed. Sweat beat down his back, his bangs clung to his forehead in a damp heap. Slowly, he raised his fingers to his mouth, pressing them against his lips.

_'Was it all a dream?'_ He wondered as he looked around the hut, taking in his surroundings. The first thing that was strange was the fact that he was sleeping on a cot; he usually slept sitting up as he watched over Kagome...

"Kagome!"

Suddenly panic filled his heart as he searched for his mate frantically.

"Kagome! Kagome!" He called out for her, turning over useless items in the hut as he searched the small room. He turned his nose into the air, but it was no use. Her scent was all over the hut, mixing into every nook and cranny, and the returning rain had washed away any scent of her outside.

His heart began to ache, hair standing up on end as he let out a cry of frustration. His mate was gone and he had no idea where she was. The pain in his chest was all to familiar from the day she returned to her own world for the last time.

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..

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_Inuyasha blinked, blinded momentarily by the glow of the time shift. His stomach gave that familiar jump as his feet landed on solid ground once more._

_He had landed back in the feudal era. Alone._

"_Inuyasha!" Her voice echoed in his mind. She had called out to him, jumped towards him with her arms out to stop him from leaving. He knew he couldn't waste time, though. Any time spent with goodbyes meant more heartbreak._

_She had a family who loved her there. She had friends, that school thing and all those tests she was always trying to go do. And while he didn't exactly understand these things, he knew she needed them. What could he provide her? He had no place to call home, no job, no money... Hell, he wasn't even a full human or a full demon._

_His world was full of danger, be it demons, or sickness or war. Her world was full of delicious food, fast transport and... delicious food. The warring states era was no place for Kagome._

_His heart burned. He placed a hand to his chest, digging his nails deep into his kimono. His eyes burned, but demons did not cry._

_Demons didn't, but humans did._

_He would never again see Kagome's face, never again hear her soft voice or feel her tender skin. She was lost to him in time, 500 years in the future._

_That makes two women now that he's lost for good._

_A single tear ran down his cheek._

"_Dammit you fool!"_

_He knew he made the right decision by letting Kagome go, he knew it. But his heart wouldn't accept it._

"_Inuyasha! Kagome!" Shippo's voice rang out. No doubt his demon sense of smell picked up Inuyasha's return._

_He stayed silent, hand still clenched against his kimono. Shippo bounded towards him with excitement, then slowed as he approached Inuyasha._

"_Inu...yasha? W-Where's Kagome?"_

_He stayed silent. Shaking with emotion. Kagome was dead to them now._

"_Kagome?" Shippo called, looking down into the well. Inuyasha growled, his heart aching at the sound of her name. "What did you say?"_

"_I said she's not here!" He snapped, yelling at the poor child demon. Then, quietly, "She's with people who need her...,"_

_._

_.._

_._

"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran outside the hut, looking around anxiously.

"Ah, Inuyasha, you're awake!" A cheerful Miroku greeted him as he walked towards the hanyou.

"What's made you so happy?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously.

"The girls have slaved away all day making a feast for us! Well, by us I mean our family, yours, Shippo-,"

"What do you mean _'my family'_?" Inuyasha snapped, his anxiety instantly diminished with the knowledge of Kagome's whereabouts. "And why didn't anyone tell me, dammit!"

"Kagome's your _mate_ now, you two are a _family_." Miroku said as if he were speaking to a child. "And it was your _mate's_ wish that you not be disturbed during your rest. She said you hadn't slept for days now."

"Will you quit talking like that!" Inuyasha growled, Miroku merely laughed, putting his arm around his friends' neck, pulling him close.

"Relax, _relax_! I'm just having fun!" He grinned, then added, "You dog, you!" He rubbed his knuckle into Inuyasha's cheek playfully.

"I said cut that out!" Inuyasha growled more, slapping Miroku's hand away.

Miroku continued to laugh at his friend. "Don't take things so personally, you're like a married man now! Speaking of which, when will we expect to see baby Inuyasha's running around, eh? Eh?" He removed his arm from around Inuyasha's neck and began to poke the half demon in the rib with his elbow.

"Miroku I swear I-," He was cut short by the familiar welcoming sound of Kagome's voice ringing in his ears.

"Inuyasha!" Her voice sang over top the gentle patter of rain that fell around them. He looked up to see her leaning against the door frame to Sango and Miroku's hut. Her blind eyes danced around the general area, searching for him.

"Kagome!" He gasped, then jumped with inhuman strength towards her. She gasped as he was suddenly in front of her, grabbing her arms tightly as if to never let her go. "Stupid! Where have you been? Why did you leave me? Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"Calm down Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped. "You needed to rest! You've been up worrying about me so much that you haven't had a break to even realize you've had a fever!"

"A fever?" Inuyasha blinked, confused.

"Duh! Can't you _tell_? You even _smell_ sick! And that's without my new senses." She waved a hand in front of her nose as if to make a point.

Suddenly he became aware of his cold sweat, the heat coming from his body and the aching in his muscles. "But... I'm a demon, I don't get sick." He said quietly, he couldn't remember the last time he even so much as coughed.

"Well apparently you do. Now come on, get some warm stew in your belly. You haven't eaten in a while." She reached a hand out in the air, searching for his arm. When she came in contact with it, her hand traced itself down to his hand. She grabbed it and turned tugging him into the hut with her. The simple touch sent shivers down his spine as he remembered her tracing her hand along his arm before their embrace.

_'Was it all just a dream?' _ He wondered again as he took lead and brought her towards the food laid out in the center of the room.

The room was packed, between Sango and Miroku and their three children, Shippo, Rin, and Kaede. All chatting cheerfully, greeting Inuyasha with welcome and addressing his fever. Kaede handed him a pack of leaves, "Boil these and drink the water, it'll solve that fever ye has." She winked at him, smiling.

Inuyasha nodded, rolling his eyes, then jumped as Kagome elbowed him. "I can see that look on your face without my eyes, you know." She giggled, the sound sending his heart into the air.

Finally it became time to eat.

Inuyasha stared at his food, his appetite for once not calling to him. In front of him sat an assortment of flavors and smells; beef stew, cooked fish, leaks, rice, potatoes, everything the village had to offer from its fields and land.

Inuyasha watched with amusement as Kagome fumbled with her chop sticks, trying to eat her rice. She lifted it towards her mouth, then proceeded to drop the lot over her lap instead of in her mouth.

"Clumsy idiot." He rolled his eyes. "Here, let me. You're going to get food everywhere." He placed his hands on the mat she was sitting on and turned her towards him. He took the chop sticks from her and wiped away the rice from her kimono. Inuyasha carefully dug into the rice with the chop sticks, then held her chin carefully. "Open." He commanded.

"Huh-Mmmpphh!" She choked as he shoved the serving of rice into her mouth, then closed it with his free hand. She hastily chewed and swallowed it. "What are you trying to do, choke me!?" She cried out.

"Maybe if you didn't talk with your mouth full you wouldn't choke!" He retorted.

"Maybe you shouldn't shove an entire bowl of rice into my mouth at once!"

"I'm trying to help you eat, dammit! Just sit still!" Inuyasha growled.

"What so you can choke me again with an entire bowl of rice!?"

"It wasn't an entire bowl, stupid!"

"Don't call me stupid, stupid!"

Kaede sighed, smiling at the all too familiar argument. "Ah, young love."

"Sounds more like children to me." Shippo sighed.


End file.
